


We Could Be Royals

by blynninja



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Bets & Wagers, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Gen, Kissing, Romance, Royalty, Royalty AU, pinterest made me do it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22340746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blynninja/pseuds/blynninja
Summary: "She’d been told that the king of Fuuga was harsh, uncompromising, and old.They’d been wrong on all three counts."--A modern-ish Royalty AU.
Relationships: Son Hak & Yona, Son Hak/Yona
Comments: 5
Kudos: 111





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A take on the Tumblr/Pinterest
> 
> "Your country's trying to take over/annex my country and you're making it difficult to hate you because you're so nice and attractive stop it"
> 
> prompt.
> 
> Because why not.

She’d been told that the king of Fuuga was harsh, uncompromising, and old.

They’d been wrong on all three counts.

He laughs as she explains the reason for her confusion, and assures her, “They were probably talking about my grandfather. I just took over the throne recently, and he’s a bit more old-fashioned than I am.”

Yona blinks, her frown fading, and sighs, “I suppose I could have asked a few more questions before just taking a maid’s word for it.”

“No harm done,” King Hak grins at her, and it’s getting very difficult to stay angry with his country for trying to sway her father’s alliance with Xing, the way he smiles and dismisses her every concern.

He’s not much older than she is, but his age and informality bely a stunning amount of strategy and political knowledge that Yona has yet to master.

Why her father had insisted on sending her as an ambassador by herself, she doesn’t fully understand, but perhaps it’s something to do with King Hak’s youth.

It definitely doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome, disarmingly so, and Yona’s maids giggle and whisper to each other when they think she’s not looking. She hears anyway, of course, and tries very hard to ignore the attraction blooming in her chest in favor of mustering up displeasure.

It doesn’t work.

The more time they spend discussing and negotiating, the more Yona finds herself distracted by King Hak’s laughter, or the sparkle in his eyes when he speaks of his favorite past-times, or the way he grins every time his little brother masters a new princely subject or skill.

She hates how much she likes him, how much sense his plan to take Kouka under Fuuga’s wing makes, and the way his eyes flash playfully at her every time she sighs in annoyance at another long meeting.

“You look tired, Princess,” he comments after dinner one evening, just over two weeks in to her stay, and Yona blinks as he touches her shoulder gently.

“Should I have someone walk you to your room?” he asks, and his concerned smile blurs as she stands, trying to wave off his assistance.

She stumbles, and Hak catches her with a startled grunt, his hands at her elbows.

He doesn’t even give her a chance to say anything before he shifts his grip, carefully guiding her from the dining room down the halls toward her guest room.

“You don’ ‘ave to walk me there yerself, Yer Majesty,” Yona hears herself slur, frowning up at him. “You could ‘ave called a servant.”

“I’ll feel better seeing you safely to your room myself,” Hak replies, his grip on her shoulder tightening just a little, in a way that makes her peer up at him curiously.

She stumbles again, swaying unsteadily for what feels like an eternity, before the king swings her into his arms, cradling her carefully against his chest, fancy dinner dress and all.

Yona squirms half-heartedly at the action, but Hak’s gaze is steel now, his steps faster.

He pauses only long enough to address a servant girl with his characteristic gentle insistence. Yona hears what sounds like, “Send the doctor to Princess Yona’s room as soon as possible,” before her eyes close and her head slumps against Hak’s shoulder.

She’s vaguely aware of being set down on something soft, of hands brushing her hair from her face, before everything goes quiet and still.

She catches pieces of conversation periodically, but the lull of sleep is stronger.

When Yona finally wakes fully, it’s to a weight on the mattress near her arm that has her confused.

Until she shifts to look and finds King Hak snoring lightly into his arms, in a chair pulled up next to her bedside. His hair is a mess, and he’s still wearing his dinner clothes even though there’s sunlight peeking through the blinds.

Yona winces, then groans as she tries to sit up, but Hak’s hand shifts to cover hers, gripping tightly enough to give her pause.

His face shifts to look at her, but he doesn’t raise his head as he says, “You had us quite worried, Princess.”

The gentleness in his gaze almost surprises her, even after over two weeks with him, and Yona has trouble forming words for a moment.

“Is that the royal ‘us,’ or…?” She manages, watching him carefully.

Hak chuckles, his grip on her fingers still strong, and replies, “Have you ever heard me use that silly royal speak?”

Before Yona can reply, Hak continues, “Silly Princess. Let me rephrase: You had _all of us_ worried.”

“You must have been worried more than anyone,” Yona says quietly, fixing him with a stare she hopes is softer than it is annoyed. She glances at their hands and the king makes no move to release hers.

“Yes, I’ll admit to that,” he says, holding her gaze. “You were asleep for two and a half days, Princess. I was worried we’d need a fairytale kiss to wake you.”

Yona blinks, processing that, and asks nervously, “And just who would have been kissing me awake?”

“Oh, probably Kija,” Hak replies, his eyebrow arcing in amusement as she makes a face. Prince Tae-yeon’s history tutor would not have been her first choice.

“He would have been very eager to, I’m sure,” Hak continues as he sits up, grinning at her. “I think he’s got a bit of a crush on you.”

“And if Kija had failed?” Yona asks, trying to keep her voice steady and hold Hak’s gaze at the same time. “Would there have been any other… volunteers?”

“Oh, plenty,” Hak replies, smiling. “But I’m afraid none would have been worthy of the honor.”

“And who do you think would be… worthy?” Yona asks, swallowing a gasp as Hak leans in close, his gaze intent.

The king tilts his head, observing her quietly for so long that she begins to squirm.

“Haaaaaaak!” A voice rings out before Prince Tae-yeon is bursting through Yona’s door, pausing long enough to take in the scene in front of him.

“Oh, good! Princess Yona is awake!” He cries, clapping merrily.

“Do you need anything, Princess? Are you hungry? Thirsty? I’ll have Yoon bring you something!” The prince decides, turning on his heel to leave.

“Tae-yeon,” Hak says quickly, reaching for his brother, who spins back toward him.

“Hak, if the Princess is awake, that means you can go back to work, right? Grandpa was getting grumpy this morning about having to do your stuff for you the last two days.” Tae-yeon is nothing if not matter-of-fact, a trait Yona has learned to appreciate these last two weeks, even when it surprises her.

“Tell Grandpa that I’ll be back in my office when I’ve made sure that Princess Yona won’t be fainting on us again anytime soon,” Hak smiles, and Yona frowns slightly.

Tae-yeon salutes, grinning, and rushes out the door to announce to the castle cook (and everyone else he sees, probably) that the princess is awake.

Hak groans, though it’s laced with affection, and Yona tilts her head curiously at him.

“You’ve been here this whole time? You should have gone back to your work! I’m sure you have more important things to do than sit at a visiting royal’s bedside,” she chides, staring in disbelief.

Hak’s gaze turns more serious as he leans close again and informs her, “In case you hadn’t noticed, Princess, I’ve become rather … fond of you these last two weeks. I couldn’t leave you here with just _anyone_ to watch over you.”

“I appreciate your concern, Your Majesty, but—” Yona begins, only to be interrupted by the king’s fingers over her mouth. She frowns at him, reaching to remove his hand, but his other comes up to catch both her wrists.

“Frankly, Your Highness, I’m amazed that you’re so trusting of my staff. Even I don’t trust them all, but I haven’t figured out who is causing problems.”

 _Problems?_ Yona’s eyes go wide at the idea, and Hak nods sharply.

“I think someone put something in your drink at dinner the other night, probably to get you to stop negotiating with me. I don’t know and I don’t really care which country they’re from at the moment, but rest assured they will be found and dealt with.”

Yona finally relaxes in his hold, but he doesn’t release her, his gaze intent.

“I’m going to keep a closer eye on you for the rest of your visit,” Hak says then, and Yona nearly scowls at him, unsure that’s necessary. “I’ve asked Shin-ah to be your personal escort for the rest of our negotiations. If you’re out of my sight, at least you’ll be in his. Please try not to wander away from him.”

This time Yona does scowl, reminded of her first “personal escort.” There had been something about him that had bothered her, so she had slipped away from him after her first two days in the castle. Now she wonders if her subconscious had been trying to tell her something.

King Hak’s eyes are still on hers, insistent, and Yona nods agreement. Hak smiles and slides his hand away from her mouth.

“Thank you. I’m glad we can agree on your safety, at least.”

“What have I missed the last two days?” Yona asks, trying to ignore the fact that his other hand still grips both of hers.

“We postponed more meetings until you’re back on your feet,” Hak assures her, smiling slightly. “I didn’t want you to miss anything.”

Yona blinks. “Oh. That’s very kind of you. Th-thank you.”

“It’s nothing to thank me for,” Hak insists, shrugging. “You’re part of the negotiations. I couldn’t continue meetings without you.”

 _Finally_ the young king releases her wrists, standing as a knock sounds at the door.

“One moment!” he calls to whoever is waiting, and then turns back to her, a glint in his eyes.

“Obviously it would have been me. Worthy, I mean,” he grins, and Yona has to think for a moment before she registers what he means.

Her face heats at the suggestion and Hak chuckles before turning and opening the door for Yoon, who’s carrying a tray of food.

“Good morning, Yoon,” Hak says cheerfully, and Yoon nods in reply as he steps inside.

“Your Majesty. Princess,” the young cook says, observing her carefully. “Are you feeling all right? Do you need the doctor?”

“I’m sure Princess Yona will be fine, Yoon,” Hak reassures, looking over his shoulder to wink at her, and Yona tries not to squeak. “But I’ll send him up after a while.”

Yoon glances between them for a moment before shrugging and approaching the bed.

“I’ll check back on you later, Princess,” Hak assures her, and her blush darkens as Yona nods mutely.

The door clicks shut behind the king and Yoon snorts, rolling his eyes.

“What?” Yona whines, frowning.

“Oh, just that I could have won a decent amount of money if I’d walked in on what I think I almost walked in on,” Yoon says casually, setting the tray down on the nightstand.

Yona sputters, indignant. “He just—We didn’t—How many people are betting in this castle?!”

Yoon smirks at her. “Practically everyone. Prince Tae-yeon is getting quite good at the math.”

Yona gapes, not sure what to say to that revelation.

“Just so you know, Princess,” Yoon says easily, his smirk softening, “my money’s on you confessing first.”

Yona’s eyes go wide and she chucks a pillow at his chuckling face.

“Kija is betting on the king kissing you first, mostly because he doesn’t want to believe that you like His Majesty as much as His Majesty likes you,” Yoon continues, dropping the pillow on her legs with a grin.

Yona buries her head into her hands and groans.

“I wouldn’t put it past His Majesty to be betting, as well,” Yoon says then, and Yona freezes at his wink. “What? The whole castle’s been talking about how much more he smiles with you here. It was only natural to assume…”

“I didn’t come here for _marriage_!” Yona yelps, certain her face is as red as her hair. “I came to negotiate an alliance between Kouka and Fuuga…”

Yoon’s deadpan look gives her pause, and then her hands fly to her face again.

“ _No!_ ”

“How else do you think your father meant for this alliance to be kept?” Yoon asks, shrugging. “At least you would start off on the right foot, unlike some arranged marriages.”

She groans into her fingers. “I was trying to _ignore_ how much I liked him!”

Yoon only laughs at her plight, though it’s a sound laced with affection.

“Don’t worry, Princess, I won’t tell anybody.”

Yona moans helplessly, and Yoon nudges a bowl toward her. “Maybe food will help you feel better. You must be hungry.”

Yona sighs but takes the bowl, and Yoon nods in satisfaction. “I’ve got to get back to the kitchen, Your Highness, but please have someone let me know if you need anything else.”

Yona nods absently, blowing on her spoonful of soup, and Yoon pats her shoulder before he slips out of her room.

 _Just what have I gotten myself into?_ she wonders to herself, sighing as she begins to eat.

Courtship and marriage hadn’t even been on her mind when her father had mentioned Fuuga, but it was very possible that it could have been on his and he just hadn’t said anything.

It wasn’t like marrying a king would be the worst thing in the world, and if Fuuga protecting Kouka was the benefit, then she’d probably consider it.

 _If_ it had been brought up in the right moment, not while she’s stuck in bed like this for as long as it takes the doctor to deem her fit to return to society. And by the castle cook!

And then there’s the matter of someone in the castle apparently trying to poison her???

Yona makes it through about half the bowl of soup before her thoughts become too much and she drifts back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hak checks in on Yona.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a couple of random notes I didn't add first chapter:
> 
> Modern-ish Royalty AU. Indoor plumbing for sure. And maybe telephones, or at least something a little faster than snail mail. Somehow I had pieces of Pride & Prejudice and also Princess Diaries running through my head when I started writing this, and then I realized I’d taken more of this than I’d originally thought from A Christmas Prince on Netflix. Oops.
> 
> Tae-yeon is like 13-ish, Hak is 24/25-ish, and Yona & Shin-ah are maybe 22-ish. Yoon is like 20/21-ish.

Hak sighs as he heads back toward Yona’s room a few hours later, hoping she’s eaten and is feeling better.

He’d left Shin-ah outside her door to keep watch, the quiet young man the only one he truly trusts around the castle right now.

Well, there’s Yoon, too, but the cook doesn’t pose nearly as much of a physical threat as a guard.

The king scrubs a hand over his face, thinking back to his conversation with the princess as she’d woken this morning.

He’d had to work very hard to keep from kissing her, more so today than any other day of her visit, and the idea still sends a spark down to his toes.

When he’d sent word to King Il about allying their countries, he hadn’t expected for the man to send his _daughter_ to negotiate the terms. She’d seemed more formal than necessary, and a little less educated on political things than he’d expected. 

Over time, he’s learned that this is her first trip without her father, and the first time she’s been in charge of negotiations like this, despite sitting in on her father’s meetings.

It’s been an interesting two weeks, getting to know her and considering her father’s offer of a marriage alliance. While the tradition had fallen out of practice in recent years, particularly in Fuuga, King Il had seemed rather open to it in their correspondence, going so far as to mention his preference for Hak over Xing’s royal family.

So it’s been in the back of his mind since Yona stepped onto the castle grounds, the idea of courting and marrying her.

The more he learns about her, the more he sees her open up to his staff and his family, the more appealing the idea becomes.

Hak nods at Shin-ah as he approaches Yona’s room, letting the younger man open the door for him.

The first thing he sees is Yona, head resting awkwardly on her pillows, and a bowl of soup threatening to fall off the nightstand beside her.

Hak rushes to the bed, relieved to find Yona sleeping peacefully, and nudges the bowl back onto its tray properly before turning to observe the princess more closely.

She can’t be comfortable in that position, he decides, and reaches to adjust her pillows, slipping a hand behind her head to guide it back to a more comfortable spot.

Yona makes an almost disgruntled noise and Hak freezes as she wakes, blinking at him owlishly.

“Your … Majesty?” the princess asks, frowning at him, and Hak smiles sheepishly, indicating his hand.

“You were sleeping a little awkwardly. I thought you’d be more comfortable with your head properly on a pillow,” he explains quickly, sliding his hand out from between her hair and the pillow.

“I see,” Yona says slowly, watching him carefully. “You’re certain you weren’t afraid I’d fallen into a fairytale slumber again?”

Hak blushes despite his best efforts (which seems to have happened a fair amount these last two weeks, now that he thinks about it) and runs a hand over the back of his neck.

“Believe me, Princess, you’d know if I’d kissed you awake.”

That was not what he’d meant to say, Hak realizes too late, but the blush on Yona’s face makes his slip-up so worth it.

He lets himself smirk and hover above her just long enough to watch her eyes go wide as he asks, “Would you like me to prove it to you?”

He’s certain, from the look on her face, that the princess would be running away from him if they were both standing. The thought makes him chuckle.

As it is, Yona’s face turns even redder and she tries to shrink into her pillows, clutching one to her face so tightly that Hak is certain she’ll rip it apart, or possibly suffocate herself.

He leans back, putting an appropriate amount of space between them, and asks, “Has the doctor come by to check on you yet?”

Yona’s fingers relax around the pillow and he sees it move as she nods.

“Hm. I asked him to find me after he’d visited you, but he hasn’t yet,” Hak realizes, frowning. “Maybe something more urgent came up.”

Yona doesn’t say anything to that, but then, why would she? It’s his castle, not hers. She doesn’t need to concern herself with his staff. At least, not yet…

“Were you aware that your staff are—er—gamblers? Your Majesty,” Yona squeaks, and Hak looks over to see her peeking over her pillow at him.

Well, yes, he knows that; he’s even been involved in some of the betting…

Oh.

_Oh dear._

Hak pinches the bridge of his nose, keeping his voice nonchalant. “Who told you that?”

“Yoon,” Yona replies reluctantly, nodding at the tray of half-finished soup.

“Ah.” He should have guessed.

“Do you—er—do you participate as well?” Yona asks, though the blush on her face tells him that Yoon had probably mentioned it.

“Occasionally,” Hak says slowly, because it’s true. He’s abstained from several of the castle bets, just not recently.

“…If the wagers are about you? What then?” Yona asks, her voice still small behind the pillow.

Hak sits back in his chair, crossing his legs and linking his hands behind his head in a picture of ease he doesn’t feel inside.

“Sometimes the staff don’t allow me to bet, if they feel it’s unfair to the situation or the people involved.”

The pillow lowers fractionally, and he can see Yona’s eyes now, bright and curious, but also cautious.

“And when you’re allowed to bet? Do you bet on yourself?”

“Only if I’m certain of the outcome,” Hak replies, watching her closely.

“So, if you knew you were going to … win, perhaps? Then you’d bet on yourself?” The princess asks tentatively, and he considers her question in context.

“You’re asking if I placed a bet on how our relationship might progress?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at her and enjoying the way her face continues to turn shades of pink.

“Let me put it this way,” he decides, sparing her the torment of having to ask the question herself. “If you’re asking if I bet on myself confessing first, you… ah, you might be correct. If you’re asking if I bet on myself initiating the first kiss, well…”

The pillow goes back up to Yona’s forehead and Hak chuckles, a little disappointed that he can’t see her lovely blush anymore, but amused that she’s so intrigued by his betting habits.

“I actually didn’t bet on that one.”

The pillow shifts and he hears Yona ask, “Why not?”

Hak shifts in his seat, planting both feet on the ground, and replies, “Because, Your Highness, the moment I start kissing you, I’m never going to want to stop.”

The princess squeaks again and Hak laughs, his eyes closing briefly.

“You’ll have to, though,” he hears as he opens his eyes again, and realizes that the pillow has been set aside and Yona is staring steadily at him.

“Hm?” He asks, tilting his head.

“You can’t just spend all your time kissing,” Yona elaborates, flushing. “You have paperwork and—and—running a country to think about. You can’t exactly do all of those things at once.”

Hak leans forward in his chair, keeping her gaze.

“I happen to like a challenge, Princess.”

Her eyes go wide and Hak grins again, staring as she averts her gaze, embarrassed again.

“Did Yoon tell you about the betting for a reason?” He asks eventually, when Yona has calmed down a bit.

She fidgets with her blankets for a moment before she replies, “…He wanted to know if he was going to win his wager this morning.”

“And did he say what he’s betting on?” Hak asks, intrigued. The bets are strictly guarded around him, for rather obvious reasons, and sometimes it gets frustrating. He only knows the categories, not what anyone else has bet on. Until they walk around flaunting or hiding their winnings or losses.

Yona shakes her head in a way that makes him think that she’s hiding the truth, but he doesn’t push. He’s done enough teasing the poor girl in the last few hours.

“I suppose I’ll find out eventually,” he yields, settling more comfortably into his chair.

Yona glances at him, frowning, and he raises an eyebrow in silent question.

“Don’t you have work to get back to?”

He shrugs. “I told the staff I was taking a break.”

“You’ve had two whole days of break,” Yona mumbles, but he can tell she’s somewhat pleased that he’s following up with her like he’d promised.

“Before you got here I’d had zero since taking over the throne,” Hak shrugs. “Maybe you should stick around. It’s good for my schedule.”

Yona frowns at him, asking, “How do you plan to find out who on your staff wants me dead?”

Hak winces, amending carefully, “Or at least so ill that you can’t continue negotiations.”

Yona gives him a look and he replies, “I’m still working on that. I promise we’ll find them eventually.”

“What if there’s another attempt?” Yona asks, and he frowns.

“That’s why I’ve assigned Shin-ah to you—”

“No,” Yona interrupts, sitting up fully. “ _What if_ there’s another attempt?”

“Absolutely not,” Hak replies immediately, scowling at her. “I can’t let you deliberately put your life at risk.”

“What else are you going to do?” Yona asks, scowling right back. “Interrogate everyone in the castle and tip off the assassin?”

Hak opens his mouth to reply, and then closes it, realizing she has a point.

She gives him that look again and interprets, “That was your plan?”

He dips his head, sighing. “I hadn’t thought it through all the way yet.”

“Of course not,” Yona snorts, and he resists the urge to glare at her.

“Still, I can’t let you risk your life like this,” he insists, setting his hands on the mattress.

“It’s already at risk,” Yona counters easily, “so why not risk it on my terms?”

Of all the princesses that could have walked into his life, he had to get the bravest, most stubborn one.

“How do you plan to go about that?” Hak asks, keeping his expression as neutral as possible.

“They tried at dinner the other night, yes? Probably put something in my drink or my food?”

Hak nods slowly, not liking where this is going.

“Have Shin-ah and someone else you trust keep an eye on whoever comes near my chair at dinner tonight.”

“ _Tonight?_ ” Hak nearly explodes, barely staying seated. “No. You’re not handing yourself over to this rogue so soon after waking up from their first attempt.”

Yona levels a glare at him, and he wonders if this was why her father had sent her to negotiate with him. She can be downright scary when she wants to be. The thought makes his toes curl.

“They’ll expect you to be more closely watched so soon after a failed attempt,” he tries to reason, but Yona shrugs.

“Every night, then. We know Yoon doesn’t hate me, so it has to be someone else with access to my place setting. Restrict the number of staff in and out of the dining room and see if that narrows it down. Have Shin-ah keep track of everyone who comes near my room. Isn’t that why he’s been standing guard the last two days?”

Hak’s jaw clenches as he processes her ideas, and he’s loath to admit she’s probably right.

“Fine. But you’re sitting directly next to me at meals from now on,” he instructs, raising a hand when Yona begins to speak. Up to now, she’s been a few chairs away from him, far enough for her to feel comfortable, but still close enough to converse easily. She’s going to be closer from now on, regardless of her comfort level. 

“You can sit between me and Tae-yeon. If it’s only you they’re after, they’ll be more careful with the next heir so close. At least, if they know what’s good for them.”

Yona’s eyes narrow briefly as she considers his stipulation, and then she sighs.

“All right, fine.”

Hak relaxes then, letting out a breath he doesn’t realize he’s been holding, and Yona’s shoulders lose a fraction of their regal posture.

“I haven’t even bothered to ask how you’re liking Fuuga,” he says then, raising an eyebrow. “Aside from someone on my staff trying to kill you.”

He realizes with a start that he’s never heard Yona _giggle_ before this moment, making a mental note to coax the noise from her more often.

“It’s a lovely country. And most of the people are quite welcoming,” Yona replies, smiling lightly.

“I hear our king can be kind of a pain to work with,” Hak offers, hands behind his head casually again.

“I think I can handle him,” Yona replies, and there’s a hint of fire in her eyes that sends another jolt straight to Hak’s toes.

If he doesn’t get to kiss her before her visit is over—or better yet, marry her—life is going to be very miserable for his staff, Hak decides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much much for the kudos and kind comments! I definitely didn't mean for this thing to turn into a multi-chapter thing when I started it last year, but words are funny. With what I've got typed out, this is probably going to be 4-5 chapters, I forget which. Unless it keeps evolving on me, lol. I'm still editing bits and pieces as I go, but it's mostly done, which is unusual for me! I'm kind of liking it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The royals go on a picnic. Because why not?

It takes another two weeks of meals before Yona feels drowsy after dinner again, and Hak insists on walking her to her room again.

She doesn’t even protest this time, appreciating his concern, and when she wakes this time the doctor tells her she was only dead to the world for about half a day, which is a relief. Either there hadn’t been as much of the drug in her drink this time, or she’d consumed less of her cup than she’d thought.

Hak is on edge for days after, and his staff can tell. Most of them go out of their way to avoid him in the halls, and only the veteran staff members approach him, most even more cautiously than Yona thinks might be necessary.

It’s … sweet, the way he’s worried for her, but also a little annoying.

“I’m _fine_ , Your Majesty,” Yona insists a few days after the second attempt, waving Hak’s hand away as he tries to steady her. She’s not even wobbly, for goodness sake.

He’s hovering, and she’s getting sick of it.

“If you keep hovering like that, I’m going to step on your feet,” she finally warns, and the king doesn’t even look surprised.

“You’ve already done that, more than once,” he points out, but steps away from her anyway.

“That was an accident,” Yona huffs, recalling her failed dance lesson last week. Fuuga was planning a ball in the coming weeks, and Hak had insisted on teaching her to dance himself, since her knowledge of traditional Fuuga dances is severely lacking. She suspects he’s also taking every opportunity to be close to her, even if that means closer than necessary.

“Still, not much of a deterrent,” Hak confides, too close to her ear. “You can step on my feet all you like.”

Just to spite him, Yona reaches over and steps very deliberately on his closest foot, smiling sweetly at his grimace.

“Note to His Majesty,” Yoon says cheerfully from the kitchen island, “stop teasing the Princess.”

“But what if I _like_ making her blush?” Hak asks, dodging Yona’s next attempt at his feet.

“Invest in thicker boots?” Yoon shrugs, passing over the basket in his hands.

The king takes the basket with a nod, turning that disarming smile on Yona as he asks, “Ready, Princess?”

Yona sighs, but nods anyway, taking Hak’s offered arm and letting him lead the way to the stables.

Prince Tae-yeon is already there, rocking from one foot to the other in anticipation, and Yona smiles as he wraps her in a hug that is almost too tight, but lets him anyway, charmed.

“I love picnics, don’t you, Princess? Wasn’t this such a good idea?”

Tae-yeon continues to chatter away as Hak smiles and prepares his horse, checking the saddle and reins before offering Yona his hand.

She blinks at him, and he sounds nonchalant as he asks, “Didn’t I tell you we’re only taking two horses?”

Yona blinks because, no, he definitely had _not_ , and then looks over to Tae-yeon, who’s grinning brightly at her, the picnic basket secured carefully on his horse’s back.

Shin-ah, on his own horse, just blinks at her when she glances at him. He’s used to the king’s interactions with her by now, she supposes.

Sighing, she takes the offered hand, letting Hak help her onto the horse and then settle behind her carefully. She can hear the smile in his voice as he urges the horse forward, and Tae-yeon’s laughter behind them as she yelps at the movement, unused to riding double.

“All right, Princess?” Hak asks, his voice steady around the horse’s bumpy gait.

Yona nods, refusing to look back at him, and he turns his head to look in Tae-yeon’s direction.

“We’ll meet you in the clearing,” Hak calls, and Tae-yeon laughs in what Yona assumes is confirmation before Hak spurs their horse faster, laughing as Yona squeals and wraps her hands around his arms.

The horse gallops for what feels like forever before Hak pulls back on the reins and his chin bumps the top of her head as he asks gently, “Are you all right? I didn’t realize that would frighten you so much.”

Yona doesn’t release his arms and Hak shifts at her back, explaining, “I needed to blow off a little steam after the other night, and riding is usually the most efficient way.”

“You could have warned me first,” Yona huffs, relaxing her grip.

“I could have,” Hak concedes slowly, “but it was much more fun to have you cling like that.”

She lets go of him immediately and Hak chuckles at her, a hint of disappointment in the sound.

“Should we go join Tae-yeon for lunch now?” He suggests, and Yona glances at him.

“Only if you promise not to go that fast this time.”

“Be careful what you ask for, Your Highness,” Hak warns, and this time she sees the sparkle in his gaze. “I can avoid my little brother all afternoon if it means having you this close.”

Yona gapes at him for a moment before coming back to herself and replying, “It’s too bad his company is preferable to yours.”

Hak makes a noise that might be a growl and Yona takes advantage of his distraction to take hold of the reins and nudge their horse into what is definitely slower than a gallop.

Hak makes a noise that’s somewhere between annoyed and impressed, and Yona grins.

“Any idea where you’re going, Princess?” He asks curiously, and she blinks as his hands cover hers, directing the horse a little to the right.

He doesn’t let go until they reach the clearing he’d mentioned, half of which is covered by a pond that Yona heads for as soon as Hak helps her down from the horse.

He trails her, though not as closely as at the castle, and she pauses at the water’s edge, staring.

She doesn’t see Shin-ah, but that’s kind of the point for this afternoon, she supposes. He’s here somewhere, close enough to know if something’s wrong, but far enough away that the three of them won’t notice his presence.

Hak gives her a few minutes of quiet before he nudges her shoulder and gestures to where Tae-yeon has set up their picnic, near enough to a tree that they’re shaded from the afternoon sun.

They eat what Yoon spent the morning preparing, Yona finding herself impressed with the young man’s ability to recall her favorites.

Some of what’s in the basket must be Hak or Tae-yeon’s, too, she reasons, but still makes a note to thank the cook for thinking of her.

Tae-yeon falls asleep on a corner of the large picnic blanket almost as soon as he finishes his dessert, and Yona watches with a smile as Hak brushes hair out of his little brother’s face and drapes his coat over him as the sun hides behind a cloud.

Hak turns back to her, mouth open to say something, and pauses, his gaze fixed on something.

“Is something wrong?” Yona asks, trying not to flinch as he slides closer to her, his thumb brushing at her cheek.

“What—?” she begins, but goes silent at the way Hak studies the chocolate on his thumb and then licks it clean in one meticulous motion.

Her face burns and he turns that studious gaze on her, his hands on either side of her knees.

Yona hardly dares make a sound as Hak’s eyes rake carefully over her face, his voice disappointed as he informs her, “Shame. No more for me to clean up.”

She squeaks as his thumb traces just below her lips, frozen in place before adrenaline kicks in and she jumps away from him, stammering, “I’m going to go check on the horses!”

Hak’s gaze is steady on her back as she heads for the other end of the pond, where the horses are grazing, and she braces herself against one of them only to realize it’s _his_ and its eyes are the exact same shade of blue.

Groaning, Yona drops to the ground, not caring about her sundress in the slightest as she wills her heart to calm down.

The horses nicker quietly and Yona focuses on the pond, visualizing her heartrate returning to as calm as the water’s surface.

Carefully, she sets aside her riding boots and socks, slipping her feet into the water and laying back on the grass, letting her eyes drift closed.

She hears him before she sees his shadow pass over her, but keeps her eyes closed as he seats himself next to her, long legs crossed carefully.

“You know,” Hak begins pensively, his voice soft, “my father proposed to my mother out here.”

Yona’s heart begins to pound again but she forces herself to only open one eye to peer at the king cautiously.

“Theirs was the last arranged marriage my grandfather approved.”

Yona opens both eyes now, sitting up slowly.

But his grandfather had been king before him, hadn’t he?

“They were murdered when Tae-yeon was a baby,” Hak says, his eyes dark with the memory, and Yona goes still, understanding.

She wants to reach for him but holds off for the moment, sensing there’s more to the story.

“They were killed by a group from my mother’s home country who didn’t approve of the match.”

Yona’s heart aches for him, but he’s not finished yet.

“I was deemed too young to take the throne, so my grandfather retook it until I was ready. That’s probably why you thought I was a terrible person,” Hak scoffs, glancing at her, though there’s no malice in his tone or gaze.

“He fired everyone with ties to Mother’s country and brought in new staff who, until recently, seemed trustworthy.”

His fingers twitch next to hers and Yona covers his hand with her own, squeezing gently.

“I’m sorry I didn’t explain properly before. I was… angry, and afraid,” he continues, gripping her hand tightly. “When you fell asleep for so long, it was like I was that little boy all over again, helpless to do anything for my parents.”

Tears trickle down Hak’s face, and Yona watches him compose himself quickly, shaking his head.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t let anyone I care about be put in danger again. And then you showed up and you got hurt under my watch and…”

He exhales shakily, his shoulders trembling, and Yona leans in close, reaching up to wipe away the tears on his cheeks.

Hak blinks slowly at her, one hand coming up to catch her wrist. She barely breathes as he studies her knuckles before gently kissing each of them.

“I’ll have to apologize to Yoon later,” Hak says quietly, and it’s Yona’s turn to blink as he leans in closer and confides, “because that’s my long-winded way of telling you I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Her eyes go wide and her face burns again as Hak leans over her, carefully forcing her down onto her back. His hair falls into his eyes as he pins her hands gently against the grass, his expression almost pained as his eyes roam her face again.

Yona doesn’t breathe, doesn’t think, for a very long moment, trembling under the king’s intensity.

He releases her with a groan, suddenly several feet away, his hands in his hair as he apologizes.

“That was… I’m sorry, Princess. I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away like that. I don’t even know for sure if you feel the same, but you needed to know my feelings, at the very least.”

Hak sighs, standing and brushing off his pants. “I’ll go pack things up and wake Tae-yeon.”

Yona can only watch him walk away, too stunned to do much of anything except bring her hands to her face and squeal quietly in embarrassment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Week?
> 
> Proposals can be a thing even in an arrangrdy marriage, right?? Whatever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hak finds out who's been trying to hurt Yona. Things go a little sideways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter--it feels like it's missing something--but it's been sitting like this for months and I figure I'll post it. *shrug*

Hak avoids the princess’s eyes the next few days—as best he can, anyway—and quietly repays Yoon what the cook lost and a little extra, shrugging and thanking the younger man for the picnic lunch.

Yoon eyes him suspiciously but rolls his eyes and replies, “Any time, Your Majesty.”

“If I ever get the Princess to agree to another picnic, I’ll be sure to let you know,” he replies glumly, frowning as Yoon waves a hand.

“So she needs a couple of days to think. I’ll be planning your wedding banquet before you know it.”

Hak blanches at the prediction but finds himself hopeful that Yoon is right as he walks out of the kitchen, looking for Yona out of habit.

At least she’s keeping Shin-ah close, he sighs, spotting the guard in front of her door.

As he gets closer, he realizes that Shin-ah looks strangely panicked, and Hak picks up his pace, nearly sprinting to reach the other man.

“What’s wrong?”

“The Princess has locked herself in her room,” Shin-ah says, scowling. “She says she doesn’t even want to see Yoon or Prince Tae-yeon.”

Hak whirls to face the door, knocking heavily.

“Princess? Is everything all right?”

“Your Majesty?!” Yona yelps. “Please, go away!”

“Princess, just tell me what’s wrong!” Hak demands, just shy of desperate.

“Nothing’s wrong!” She calls back, though he’s pretty sure she’s lying. “I just want to be alone!”

“I don’t believe you!” Hak shoots back, jiggling the door handle. “I can have this door off its hinges in no time at all, you know!”

It’s quiet and brief, but he’s pretty sure he hears Yona make a pained noise, and Hak gestures to Shin-ah, indicating the hinges.

“Princess, talk to me!” He urges as Shin-ah pulls a pocket knife from his coat and begins unscrewing.

“I-I’d rather not!” Yona calls back, and that’s _definitely_ a noise of distress.

Hak wracks his brain, cycling through the staff who’ve been in this wing recently, glancing at Shin-ah for help.

The guard lists several names quietly, and Hak frowns.

“Tae-jun?!” He nearly roars, and a startled yelp from Yona is all the confirmation he needs that his jealous cousin is behind all of this.

How he hadn’t seen it sooner, he’s not sure, but he’s going to end it here and now, Hak decides.

Shin-ah has one set of screws left and Hak reaches over to brace the door so it doesn’t collapse on the other man before he just rips it out of the doorjamb, startling both Yona and Tae-jun, his cousin gripping Yona’s arm with one hand, the other brandishing a knife that Hak is pretty sure came from the kitchen.

“Tae-jun,” Hak growls, hands fisted at his sides. “Drop the knife and step away from the princess.”

His cousin’s hand trembles and Yona flinches, but Tae-jun doesn’t heed Hak’s warning.

The king steps into the room, keeping his empty hands visible, and addresses Tae-jun slowly.

“I assume you’re opposed to an alliance with Kouka?”

Tae-jun glares, and Hak frowns. “Or are you opposed to the idea of me allying with Princess Yona?”

Tae-jun doesn’t reply, but his expression is answer enough, and Hak sighs.

“I should have known,” Hak sighs, looking at Yona. “I’m sorry, Princess. I don’t know why I didn’t see it earlier.”

Yona just blinks at him, her gaze bouncing between him and Tae-jun.

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because we’re family,” he warns Tae-jun, who scowls at him and shakily presses the knife closer to Yona’s skin.

“I understand that you’re upset,” Hak continues, keeping his eyes on Tae-jun. “But that doesn’t mean you need to hurt the Princess. Why didn’t you just talk to me about your concern over the alliance? You’ve been involved in the meetings from the beginning.”

He’s pretty sure he knows why, and Tae-jun’s silence doesn’t help.

“You’re jealous,” Hak summarizes, watching his cousin’s eyes flash. “You want the throne and Yona. Well, after this little stunt, you’re never getting either.”

Tae-jun is further down the line of succession, so why he ever thought he could take the throne so quickly, Hak’s not sure.

As for Yona… The Princess is trembling, and Hak is willing to bet it’s not all out of fear.

“Come on, Tae-jun,” he tries, holding out a hand. “Give me the knife and let Shin-ah walk you out of here. We can discuss consequences when the Princess is safe.”

He raises an eyebrow, continuing, “You _do_ care about her safety, don’t you?”

Tae-jun’s face falls and Hak steps closer, one hand out to take the knife.

Tae-jun flinches as Hak gets closer, and then the blade connects with his shoulder as his cousin lashes out with a cry.

Hak grunts at the impact but brings his other hand up to catch Tae-jun’s wrist and bend it backward, forcing the weapon from his hand.

Tae-jun yelps and Yona leans over and kicks the knife toward Shin-ah, her eyes wide.

Hak forces Tae-jun to the ground, sweeping his ankles out from under him, and Shin-ah approaches to take over, which leaves Hak free to approach Yona.

The princess stares at him, eyes wide, still trembling.

Scowling, he places his hands on her shoulders—and promptly collapses to his knees with a hiss.

“Your Majesty?” Yona yelps above him, and he feels her kneel next to him, her fingers flying to his face and his shoulder.

He focuses on her concerned face until his eyes slide shut.

-x-

The next thing Hak knows, he’s waking up in bed to Yona’s hands over his and he blinks.

“Oh! Hak!” She yelps, sounding relieved as she turns toward Shin-ah, who’s standing near the door. “Will you go get the doctor, please, Shin-ah? And let Tae-yeon know he’s awake?”

Hak begins to protest, but Yona turns to glare at him and he holds up his hands, wincing as his shoulder protests the action.

“The knife hit you in a funny spot, _and_ it was poisoned,” Yona explains, tucking hair behind her ear. “The doctor can explain it better if you need him to, but—”

“I’ve been stabbed before, Princess,” Hak interrupts, and Yona’s hand tenses around his. “I’ll be fine.”

After the doctor has gotten him up to date and left them alone, and a sleepy but happy Tae-yeon has been shuffled back to his room, Hak leans forward and locks eyes with the princess.

“So. ‘Hak’, huh?” he says, grinning. “Not ‘Your Majesty’?”

Yona’s face turns what he decides is his favorite shade of pink and she stammers, “I’m sorry, I was just so relieved you were awake and—”

“Yona,” he interjects, watching her eyes go wide.

Hak reaches out with his good hand to tuck another wild strand of hair behind her ear and informs her, “You can call me by my name any time you want. In fact, I think I’d prefer it from you.”

Yona’s face goes red but she doesn’t pull away from his hand, her gaze tremulous.

“How long was I asleep?” He asks then, and Yona comes back to herself quickly.

“Not long enough for anyone to call you Sleeping Beauty.”

Hak raises an eyebrow, his fingers twitching near her ear as he fights a smile.

“That’s too bad. Although I doubt anyone would have been able to wake me.”

Yona tilts her head, a challenge in her eyes as she replies, “I don’t know. I think any of the maids might have. As a last resort, anyway.”

“And you, Your Highness?” He asks quietly, watching her expression shift as he uses the title. “Are you assuming you wouldn’t have been the last resort?”

Yona’s gaze drops to her lap and Hak chuckles, “I would hope yours would have been the _only_ attempt.”

Yona inhales sharply, her gaze snapping back to his, but she only watches him quietly, embarrassed.

Hak leans back into his pillows, sighing.

“Sorry, Princess. You seem to bring out a different side of me, and I take it too far.”

“I-I’m used to it by now,” Yona assures him, and Hak snorts.

“Still. I should know better.”

“You did tell Yoon that you enjoy making me blush,” Yona reminds him quietly, and this time he refuses to look at her.

“It’s late. You should go get some rest.”

Yona stays quiet for a few moments and Hak finally glances at her as she stands, hesitating.

When her hands land on his sheets and she leans over him, Hak stops breathing.

Yona scrutinizes him carefully, her gaze bouncing from his eyes to his mouth, and Hak stays as still as the thrill running through him will allow.

Yona’s fingers curl into the sheets as she leans in closer, and Hak watches her eyes flutter closed before her lips land on his cheek. He can feel the blush on her face even in the few seconds she lingers, and she pulls away quickly, embarrassed.

“Th—that doesn’t count, okay?” she stammers, the blush growing darker, and Hak has to breathe and think for a second before his brain supplies, _The kissing bet._

He drags in another breath before quirking an eyebrow and replying, “I don’t know, Princess. The castle might not see it that way.”

Yona blinks at him before asking, “And just who is going to tell them?”

There’s that intimidating look again and Hak longs to kiss it away, but it _is_ very late, and she probably does need to go to sleep.

“Besides, you kissed me the other day, and I don’t hear anyone talking about that,” Yona points out, staring at the bedspread.

“Fingers definitely don’t count,” Hak argues quickly, and Yona’s gaze snaps back to his, her eyes wide.

“We were _alone_ and you did that right before you confessed!” the princess protests, her ears turning pink. “Of course it could have counted!”

Hak shakes his head, smirking at her as he relents, “The castle betting pool is quite particular, Princess. You can ask Yoon if you don’t believe me. They’re expecting to see evidence.”

“E-e-evidence?” Yona repeats anxiously, flinching just a little as Hak runs a hand through her hair.

He really should stop, but she’s so cute when she’s curious, and it’s probably kinder to tell her sooner rather than later.

“Remember how I said if I started kissing you, I wouldn’t be able to stop?” he whispers, and Yona squeaks.

His other hand rests at her chin, stroking just below her lower lip, and it brings back memories of their picnic the other day.

Yona goes utterly still except for the trembling of her lips and Hak lets his gaze focus there until the princess begins to squirm.

This is his new favorite pastime.

It’s going to cause some problems.

“You know,” he continues, his grip not wavering, “you never actually responded to my confession.”

Yona stutters and Hak resists the urge to move his thumb up a fraction.

“If you wait too long to tell me what I think you’re going to tell me, I may lose more money.”

Yona’s blink tells him she doesn’t know about that particular bet (which several of his staff have already complained over, thinking things would have moved faster), and he grins.

“Cat got your tongue, Princess? Do you need a little help with that?”

He gives her all of five very long seconds before he leans in close, nearly closing the gap between them.

Yona freezes in his grip before her fingers fly to his shoulders, and Hak hisses at the sudden pain in the injured one.

“I’m sorry!” Yona yelps, her eyes wide as she moves her hand, trying to back away. “I didn’t mean to—”

Hak rolls his eyes with all the affection in the world and pulls her close, running his nose and lips carefully over her face but forcing himself to stay as far from her mouth as possible.

It’s half to tease her, and half to keep himself from doing something she hasn’t yet asked for.

When he’s satisfied that she’s thoroughly embarrassed again, Hak leans back, releasing her with a rueful smile.

“We can talk more tomorrow. Go to bed, Princess.”

It takes a moment, during which he delights at the shifts in her expression, before Yona nods sharply, stands shakily, and heads for the door.

Hak sighs and leans back into his pillows, but bolts upright again as Yona says quietly from the doorway, “Good night, Hak.”

The door closes behind her with a deafening click and Hak pulls a pillow over his face, annoyed that she’s got him blushing and stammering with one sentence.

Weeks of teasing, of restraining himself, of waiting for her to respond, and three words undo it all.

He doesn’t even want to think about the _other_ three words he wants to hear from her.

He’s in over his head with this girl, Hak wails inwardly as he tries to get some sleep.

x

She’s late to breakfast and jumpy besides, and Hak tries not to smirk as she slides cautiously into the seat beside him.

She doesn’t need to, now that Tae-jun’s been dealt with, but Hak doesn’t intend to remind her of it.

He avoids conversation as Yona eats, certain that any mention of last night—or anything, really—will send her scrambling away from him.

He waits until she’s ready to leave the dining room, and catches her around the waist before she can fully reach the door.

“You haven’t said a word all morning, Princess,” he begins, trying not to grin as he slides his other hand up to her shoulder.

Yona bites her lip and Hak nearly dies on the spot.

He shifts them so she’s pinned between him and the door, half-expecting a servant to shriek from the hallway at the sound.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” Hak asks quietly, tilting his head so he can grin in Yona’s line of sight.

Instead of speaking, Yona reaches toward him carefully, and Hak watches as her fingers tangle into his shirt, then run up and down the tie he’s suddenly glad he chose to wear this morning. His mouth goes dry as he tries not to gape at her.

Yona’s fingers climb his tie and he can only stare as she blushes but gently tugs him closer.

His hands go back to her hips and she doesn’t even flinch!

“When my father first told me that he wanted me to come to Fuuga,” Yona begins, and Hak finds himself captivated by her eyes, “I was… excited, but also anxious about coming here by myself. But you and Tae-yeon and Yoon and the others I’ve gotten to know these last few weeks… You’ve made me feel welcome, and safe.”

She pauses for a second to lock eyes with him and he forgets how to breathe.

“I spoke to my father this morning,” Yona continues, and Hak feels his eyes go wide, waiting for her to go on. Her fingers keep tracing up and down his tie like she’s trying to anchor herself.

“I asked him if he sent me here to negotiate for him, or to get married.”

Hak’s heart stutters at the blush on her cheeks, and she stays quiet for so long that he prompts breathlessly, “And?”

“And he said it was a bit of both,” Yona replies, meeting his eyes for just a second before she stares shyly at the ground. “But he said it was mostly my decision.”

Hak’s not sure he wants to hear what her decision is, but waits anyway.

“At first, when I got here, I wanted to hate you,” Yona admits with a chagrined smile. “I thought my father’s negotiation with Xing was the way to go, and that Fuuga just wanted Kouka for selfish reasons.”

Hak drags in a breath, not daring to interrupt.

“But the more I sat with you in meetings and got to know you as a king and as a friend, I realized that I was wrong. You want to protect Kouka, and allying us with Fuuga seems to be the better choice. So I’ve had Father remind me how to negotiate that. As to the other piece…”

His knees go weak as she tugs him fractionally closer, smirking in a way he’s never seen before.

“I’ve decided to extend my stay in Fuuga,” Yona informs him. “Indefinitely.”

Hak’s fingers tighten on her hips as he steps closer, squaring his shoulders to stare down at her from his full height.

“Is that so?” he asks hoarsely, finding it hard to speak but attempting to anyway.

Yona just gazes steadily back at him, her hand sneaking further up his tie.

“Just what do you plan to do during this indefinite stay?” Hak finds himself asking, his gaze trailing lower and then jumping back up to her eyes.

Yona hums thoughtfully, tugging his face closer yet, and now he realizes it’s become a game.

His castle’s sanity is on the line. Hak wonders vaguely what happens if they declare a draw.

“I was thinking I might spend some more time with Prince Tae-yeon,” the princess interrupts his musings, and Hak nearly chokes.

“He’s a very sweet boy, and I thought maybe I could sit in on his lessons with him and learn some more things about Fuuga,” Yona continues coyly, her eyes holding a challenge.

Well, he did say he _liked_ a challenge.

“I’m not sure you’d get much out of Tae-yeon’s lessons, Princess,” he posits, tilting his head. “If you want to learn more about Fuuga, you should probably spend time with someone who knows it already.”

“What a marvelous idea, Your Majesty,” Yona grins. “Kija would be a wonderful source of information. And entertaining besides.”

Hak resists the urge to scoff at that one, choosing instead to go for disappointed.

“I was talking about me,” he assures her, watching Yona tip her head thoughtfully, mere inches from his.

“I suppose that could work, too,” she whispers, and Hak wonders if she’s losing steam.

“I don’t mean to brag, but I’m told I’m easier on the eyes than Kija, as well,” Hak lets himself preen just a bit. Never mind that some of the staff probably just tell him that to avoid his royal glare.

“Are you? I hadn’t noticed,” Yona breathes, leaning her head against the door as Hak lowers his a little more.

“Too busy fawning over my baby brother, hm?” he asks, letting one hand drift up to her face, resting gently on her cheek.

Yona blinks, making a confused noise, and Hak grins slightly at having pulled her out of the game.

“It’s all right, Princess. I know Tae-yeon is cute. But I think I’m more your type.”

Yona keeps blinking, her mouth opening and closing slowly as she tries to come up with anything else to say.

“I’ve been dying to kiss you since the second you walked through my front door over a month ago. Are you going to make me wait even longer?” he asks with a chuckle as Yona flushes bright pink but doesn’t pull away. Her fingers flinch around his tie and Hak readjusts his grip at her hip.

“Which half of my staff are going to hate one of us for the rest of the year?” Hak wonders aloud, searching Yona’s face.

One of them will have to give in first, but he’s quite determined that it’s not going to be him. He’s done enough initiating; it’s Yona’s turn to take the lead.

“I—I—um,” Yona stutters, breaking eye contact and mumbling something Hak can’t hear.

The hand at her cheek shifts to catch her chin, bringing her gaze back up to his as he asks, “Come again?”

“I’ve never—I don’t—” Yona stutters, and Hak smiles warmly at her.

“I haven’t had much time for this either, Your Highness,” he admits, and her eyes pulse wide before he leans as close as he dares and continues, “so we can figure it out together.”

Yona takes a shuddering breath that Hak finds himself mirroring before her fingers tighten around his tie and practically _yank_ him the last inch or so to her lips.

They’re both clumsy at first, mostly teeth and awkward mouths, until Hak tilts his head a little and Yona gasps, clinging to him like her life depends on it.

Kissing her is intoxicating, and he’s positive he could do this all day long, but a deliberate noise from behind him has Hak tensing. He’s sure Yona would be jumping away if not for his hands being the main thing holding her upright against the door.

“Did you just win your wager, Yoon?” Hak asks casually, and Yona squeaks at the reminder.

“Kija owes me _so_ much money,” Yoon grins, flashing a victory symbol before bowing awkwardly and backing out of the swinging servants’ door, mumbling, “Um, carry on, Your Majesty.”

Yona’s still flushed and panting when Hak turns back to look at her and he has the sudden desire to hook her legs around his waist and carry her to bed, never mind the time.

But instead he presses kisses to her cheeks, her jaw, her hairline, giving her time to calm down but still proclaiming his affection.

“That wasn’t—quite how I thought that would go,” Yona breathes, nearly back to normal, and Hak quirks an eyebrow.

“Do I want to know?”

His favorite shade of pink is back as Yona yelps, “That’s not—why do you—eep!”

Hak laughs as he tugs her into a hug, feeling her relax against his chest after a moment.

“I predict the next round of betting will have started by lunch,” he guesses, his fingers tracing up and down Yona’s spine as she sighs.

“About what? How long until we’re married?” she asks, and Hak chuckles, pulling back enough to see her face.

“You’re a little behind, Princess. They’ve been betting on that since you got here.”

He tucks his fingers under her chin and holds her gaze as he supplies, “By tonight they’ll be betting on how long before we start a family.”

Her eyes go wide and the tips of her ears turn red, but she doesn’t pull away.

Hak kisses her again, taking his time, and Yona goes nearly limp against the door, her fingers clinging carefully to his shirt.

“They’re going to have to wait on that one,” he breathes, “because I’m not planning on sharing you with anybody else for quite a while.”

Yona exhales shakily, staring at him hopefully, and he makes himself back up, dropping his hands.

“We should probably go finish negotiations, don’t you think?”

Yona blinks, her fingers flying to her lips, and Hak has to force himself to spin on his heel and head for the kitchen door, hoping she follows.

She does, staying too many steps behind him, but Hak remedies that by pausing to catch her hand, tugging her with him into the kitchen.

Yoon looks up at their entrance, smirking, but goes back to washing dishes with barely a hello.

The other staff in the kitchen giggle as they pass, whispering to each other, but sharp looks from Yoon send them scattering into the hallways.

Within the hour, half his staff have begun to avoid him, and Hak can only grin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one feels shorter, and it's the end of what I had typed out, but part of me feels like there's more to the story?

It takes almost a year to plan the wedding, and Yona is so ready to be finished with preparations.

It’s been mostly her and Yoon (now playing both cook and personal attendant, thanks to their friendship) doing the planning, with some help from one of Hak’s grandfather’s friends who insists on playing wedding planner.

Hak, unfortunately, has been kept incredibly busy—not just by kingdom things, but by his grandfather. Mun-dok seems determined to keep them apart, Yona thinks, scowling as the older man drags Hak off for another round of meetings or archery practice or whatever he’s found to make up this time.

They’ve barely spoken, let alone had more than five minutes to themselves, since the negotiations and engagement had been announced.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Yoon shrugs for what must be the hundredth time, tapping her on the shoulder to bring her focus back to last-minute wedding details.

Yona sighs as she returns to the task at hand, already counting down the seconds until they’re officially married, and trying not to think about how much time being Queen will take out of her day.

She’ll have her own duties, as Queen, but there have to be things they’ll do together, right?

There must be.

x

Yona doesn’t sleep the night before the wedding, too anxious about doing something wrong, stumbling down the aisle, or of Hak giving up on her and not even showing up.

 _That_ thought nearly makes her cry, and Shin-ah pokes his head in the door, asking, “Okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks, Shin-ah,” she insists, swiping at the tears brimming in her eyes before falling into restless sleep.

Only Hak’s grins as he spots her throughout their wedding morning keep her calm, though she wishes she could hug him. But Mun-dok and the wedding planner both insist that anything beyond brief glimpses of each other before the ceremony will bring disaster upon their marriage, and the kingdom, so she endures it with a sigh, clinging to Yoon, instead, despite his half-hearted protests.

When Hak’s hand closes around hers at the altar, Yona feels relief wash over her completely, and Hak smiles knowingly as they turn to face the priest.

Her father beams from the front row of pews, wiping away tears.

She’s crowned Queen as soon as the wedding is finished, and the applause from the reception is overwhelming.

Fuuga has become home this last year, and she’s grown to love its people. With their negotiations and the wedding now done, Kouka is considered a part of Fuuga, and the alliance has been met with even more enthusiasm than she had ever hoped.

They’ve held the wedding early enough in the afternoon that they can travel a bit—Hak’s idea, which Mun-dok had protested for exactly two minutes before giving in and deciding he could handle things in Hak’s stead for a week. Yona doesn’t know where they’re going, but Hak promises it’s not far.

They make it as far as the pond before Hak stops the horse and laughs nervously, asking, “What do you think?”

Yona gapes.

There’s a cottage nestled in the clearing, windows overlooking the pond.

“I see why you insisted I stay away from the pond for the last six months,” she says finally, still blinking.

Hak chuckles awkwardly again, sliding off of the horse and turning to look at her expectantly.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” Yona replies, letting him help her down onto solid ground. “You’re sure we’re, um, far enough?”

Hak laughs this time, understanding.

“Shin-ah will be around once or twice a day or so, for security reasons, and Yoon will be in and out a few times with food and things if we need. Short of a national emergency, no one else is allowed within a mile if they know what’s good for them.”

At her raised eyebrow, he amends, “Except maybe Tae-yeon, if he misses you too much. But I told Yoon to check with us first.”

Hak tugs at her hand gently, guiding her toward the little house. “Come see the inside.”

When they reach the door, he pauses, sweeping her into his arms, and Yona squeals.

“Open the door, would you, my queen?” he asks with a grin, kissing her cheek.

Yona rolls her eyes affectionately but manages the door handle, trying not to squirm as Hak steps into the cottage and kicks the door shut behind them.

He doesn’t let her down as he gives her the tour, despite her protests that she’s perfectly capable of walking, and Yona sighs.

When he finally does set her down, it’s on the fluffy bed in the master bedroom, and he stares at her for so long she squirms.

“Hak?” she asks, clutching a hand in front of her chest nervously.

Hak leans close, grinning as she loses her balance and lays gazing up at him cautiously, his hands on either side of her.

It reminds her of his confession at the pond, just outside, and Yona feels her face begin to flush.

“I don’t need to run away from you this time,” Hak says quietly, his eyes trailing up and down in a way that makes her toes curl.

“N-no, I suppose not,” Yona breathes, unable to look away from his face.

“I thought I was going to go mad, not seeing you all morning,” he continues, his gaze returning to hers. 

“Me too,” she confides, blinking away sudden tears.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he goes on, fingers trailing over her scalp.

Yona shivers pleasantly but finds that words don’t come.

They turn out to be unnecessary, anyway, the way they get lost in each other as the afternoon fades into evening.

When she wakes, briefly, later, it’s to Hak’s fingers tracing patterns on her shoulder, and she meets his content smile with a shy one before she snuggles closer and falls back to sleep, dreaming of the future.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this dumb thing since last June. Bear with me!
> 
> Title stolen from that song. *shrug*


End file.
